Perhaps no sign is more iconic to the Peoria skyline than the red, bold “HOTEL PERE MARQUETTE.”

The block letters beckon to the east and west. Their look and longevity testify to two Peoria traits: unpretentious and dependable.

The hotel opened on Jan. 5, 1927. About 16,000 visitors gawked at 501 Main St., where 14 stories and 375 rooms had been built for a princely $2.5 million. A night’s lodging was $2.50, while a 16-ounce T-bone steak cost $2.25.

The name of the Hotel Pere Marquette was selected from 41,000 contest entries. The winner — Mrs. H.M. Kipp of 218 North St. — suggested Father Jacques Marquette, the French explorer who journeyed down the Illinois River in 1673.

Over the years, the swank hotel hosted big names, including Helen Hayes, Eddie Cantor, Lady Bird Johnson, Lawrence Welk, Bob Hope, Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. In the late 1970s, the Pere hit hard times as a Hilton affiliate, closing its doors in 1980. But it reopened a year later and enjoyed a resurgence under new ownership.

The site went dark again in December 2011, as part of a $100 million hotel project Downtown. The hotel reopened in June 2013, as the Marriott Pere Marquette.